Telematic communication units (TCU's), such as cellular phones, personal data assistants (PDA's), Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, and on-board Vehicle Communication Units (VCU's), used in conjunction with a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as a cellular telephone network or a satellite communication system, have made it possible for a person to send and receive voice communications, data transmissions, and facsimile (FAX) messages from virtually anywhere on earth. Such communication is initiated at the TCU when it is turned on, or by entering a phone number to be called, or in many cases, by pressing a preprogrammed button on the TCU or speaking a voice command causing the TCU to automatically complete the process of dialing the number to be called. A radio communication link is established between the TCU and a Wide Area Network (WAN), using a node of the WAN in the vicinity of the TCU. In cellular telephone systems, a node is commonly referred to as a “cellular base station.” Once the radio communication link between the TCU and the cellular base station has been established, the base station may utilize a combination of additional cellular stations, conventional telephone wire line networks, and possibly even satellite systems to connect the TCU to the number to be called.
Wireless communication services offered by the cellular base station, such as navigation and roadside assistance for TCU users, have greatly increased in recent years. More specialized services are now offered for VCU users, and may aid motor vehicle operations and include services that provide location and destination information. Such services are provided at a cost to the VCU users, and at a cost to the VCU service provider. Certain classes of VCU services require the periodic access and programming of vehicle specific systems in order to initiate the VCU services. These data intensive services can potentially have significant transmission (uploading) costs associated with them, again at a cost to the VCU service provider and ultimately the VCU users. Currently, two methods exist to upload (upgrade) the vehicle specific systems, both with disadvantages. One is to allow the system to be updated via a data call from a Call Center to the VCU. This is an expensive alternative, since it may require a very long phone call, and each vehicle to be updated must receive a separate phone call. The second alternative is to have the vehicle specific systems updated by attaching a Tech Tool to the vehicles communication bus. The Tech Tool equipment is not available to a normal customer, and so the vehicle must be brought into a dealer, causing potential scheduling and monetary problems for the VCU users.
Some current navigation systems allow updating their program code via an optical disc (CD). These units however, use a more capable CD drive that has the ability to read the CD contents as data instead of audio. The standard CD player in a vehicle does not typically have the ability to read data CDs, nor does it have a way to make the audio data available on the vehicle bus.
Thus, there is a significant need for a method and system for optimizing wireless communication data uploading, and vehicle systems programming that overcome the above disadvantages and shortcomings, as well as other disadvantages.